


my roommate is a witch!

by sunstruck (sesunmi)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Magical Realism, Renjun is a cryptid, Renjun says fuck, Roommates, Slice of Life, only once but still
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26443168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sesunmi/pseuds/sunstruck
Summary: Jeno takes a long, good look at Renjun. Lightly muscled, a small frame. It’s not the build you would expect from an axe murderer.You never know though,he can hear Jaemin cry. But Renjun’s  brought with him all these nice plants and succulents that brighten up the house, and he’s easy on the eyes too. He’s got an affinity for life, if any.Maybe he chops  his victims into pieces and uses them to fertilize his plants.Jeno sighs.“Renjun, are you an axe murderer?”Renjun’s response is drier than the Sahara. “How did you know?”
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 38
Kudos: 248
Collections: Challenge #1 — and they were roommates





	my roommate is a witch!

**Author's Note:**

> title from [My Girlfriend Is a Witch.](https://youtu.be/p9Ev6WtAciY) Enjoy! <3

Jeno’s looking for a roommate because Jaemin’s moving away.

(Not away, just out to Donghyuck’s, Jaemin would say. Jeno can’t decide whether he should be offended that Jaemin chose his boyfriend of six-months over him, or proud that Jaemin’s moving out of the nest. But Jaemin’s happy, so by extension, he’s content too.)

Jaemin owned most of the things in the apartment, and now that he’s gone, it’s rather empty. It’s left a Jaemin shaped space behind, and Jaemin takes up a _lot_ of space. Naturally he’d want a roommate — to help pay rent, of course, but it would be nice to simply have another human in his house; have some company.

===

He interviews Huang Renjun, a prospective roommate, on a Friday.

It feels more like Renjun is testing Jeno out — judging whether he’d be fit to live with him than the other way around.

“The house seems to like you,” Renjun says, arms crossed, a considering look on his face.

“Huh,” Jeno says bemusedly.

“How do you feel about being roommates?”

It’s confident, but it doesn’t ooze of that cocky bastard energy mix that Jaemin and Donghyuck emanate. It’s solemn, mysterious, and a little hopeful all at once.

Huang Renjun is a bit strange, Jeno decides, but he’ll be good company.

===

“I don’t mind.”

“Jeno, that’s creepy,” says Jaemin over the phone.

“That’s not very polite, Jaemin. I have you on speaker, he can hear you.”

“Good for you,” Jaemin blathers on. “God, you’re so unphased by everything. What if your new roommate turns out to be an axe murderer?”

Jeno takes a long, good look at Renjun. Lightly muscled, a small frame. It’s not the build you would expect from an axe murderer. _You never know though,_ he can hear Jaemin cry. But Renjun’s brought with him all these nice plants and succulents that brighten up the house, and he’s easy on the eyes too. He’s got an affinity for life, if any. _Maybe he chops up his victims into pieces and uses them to fertilize his plants._

Jeno sighs.

“Renjun, are you an axe murderer?”

Renjun’s response is drier than the Sahara. “How did you know?”

Jaemin gasps, and Jeno hangs up the phone.

===

He begins to notice small things.

An example from this morning: Renjun sets his mug down, and the spoon inside keeps stirring and stirring. There’s just….no widely acceptable explanation for that. Perhaps it could be blamed on physics, something about whirlpools. But ultimately?

It’s a mystery.

Jeno’s content to leave it like that, but there’s something extraordinary about Renjun that eludes him. And that’s okay. He’s content to let it be.

Though whenever he spots little things like this happening, he makes sure to meet Renjun’s eyes and smile at him, as if to say _I know_.

===

The pages of Renjun’s books literally flip on their own. It’s so blatant. Renjun isn’t even bothering to hide it at this point.

Jeno gives him a pointed look.

Renjun doesn’t even blink this time — he just keeps on reading his book. Sometimes Jeno gets an arched eyebrow in return or a quirk of the lips back, like an acknowledgement of knowing _something_.

Jeno can’t know for sure what that _something_ is, but it’s certainly fun to play along and pretend that he does.

“How does tteokbokki sound?”

===

Renjun is a cryptid.

He talks about the universe and space and time and extraterrestrial life, then moves on to more mundane things like the color of the sky, the shape and texture of clouds. It’s all musings; no statement about what things are, no proclamation of knowledge.

He discusses with Jeno the origins and how their dinner came to be — this tteokbokki. _Where did this cheese come from? The land where the chilis were grown?_ Yeah, people really are disconnected now, to the effort of people and the land that provide for them, but what’s the point of this discussion? Jeno finds his mind wandering.

“It’s about appreciation and respect,” Renjun says.

His chopsticks are laid flat, to the side of his bowl. It hasn’t been touched for the past six minutes so hypothetically, it should be cooling off, steam is rising from it, the cheese visibly gooey. There’s no tell tale sign of the rice cakes drowning in sauce either —the whole bowl has been frozen in time.

Jeno brings his gaze down. Renjun shrugs.

“This is what we call mindfulness, Jeno. I think you’re pretty mindful already, but it doesn’t hurt to connect with the world. There’s benefits to the world liking you.”

He picks up his chopsticks to take a bite of his tteokbokki. He chews slowly, his eyes closed.

Maybe Jeno’s the creep. He gets some sort of sick satisfaction out of watching Renjun eat.

“Jeno, I can hear you thinking,” Renjun laughs, rising to get something from the kitchenette. He returns with another bowl and another pair of chopsticks. “Turn off your brain and eat and appreciate this food.”

If Renjun _is_ a mind reader, he hasn’t voiced any discomfort. Unlike what his soothing and melodic voice would suggest, he isn’t shy to say what needs to be said.

Jeno is happy to abide. He turns off his brain and eats, soaking in Renjun’s presence and the sensations.

===

Jaemin wheedles his way into coming over.

While they do hang out, they haven’t _hung out_ in the apartment for awhile, so Jeno sends Renjun a text: _I’m bringing Jaemin over!_ before he pockets his phone.

He waltzes right in, as if he never left. “Woah, the apartment’s so different now,” Jaemin says.

“Perhaps your memory has forgone you?” Jeno asks archaically, half joking. “No much has changed. We didn’t move any furniture; it’s just my stuff with plants.”

“Nah, I mean the energy. It’s totally different.” Jaemin prods at Renjun’s chinese evergreen, mouth forming an “o” as the leaves turn a little pink under his touch.

“That’s Chenle,” Renjun’s mutters softly, standing up from the couch to shuffle towards them. “Be gentle and friendly with him though, or I won’t be very happy. You’re Jaemin, right?”

“Yeah,” Jaemin says, uncharacteristically skittish and wary. He’s quashing it down, but Jeno knows well enough to tell. Seeing the grin is a little painful. “Nice to meet you in person, Huang Renjun. I’m going to go use the bathroom. Give me a moment.”

And with that, Jaemin excuses himself and locks himself in the bathroom.

_Jeno._

Proper punctuation. It’s uncharacteristically serious.

_Jeno. Your roommate, Renjun? I think he’s a witch._

_You think he’s a what_

_??_

_No, I’m being serious. Donghyuck is a witch himself and he just_

_He gives off the same vibes. It’s scary_

_I think you should move out. Donghyuck uses me as a guinea pig for his potions_

He swallows, his throat dry, and gives himself a moment of silence and a minute to calm down. Then Jeno goes to the kitchenette to fill a mug with water, which he chugs furiously.

It all makes sense now. Now he just has to confirm.

“Renjun,” He calls out.

Renjun inclines his head in acknowledgement.

“Are you a witch?”

“Hmm? I thought you already knew.”

“Just confirming.”

“Yeah, I’m a witch,” Renjun omits easily like an exhale. There’s a smirk playing on his lips — sure and amused. It’s kind of hot.

You know what? Perhaps he is in danger of being a potions guinea pig after all, but Jeno can’t bring himself to mind. It’s Renjun.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Jeno blurts, mind to mouth filter gone. His self-preservation instincts flare, and he follows that with a: "what the fuck," face in flames.

And Renjun simply scooches over, gesturing at the empty space on the couch for Jeno to come hither. "What the fuck," he echoes.

“JENO,” Jaemin shrieks from the bathroom. He’s quite loud.

Jeno is content to ignore him in favor of kissing with Renjun.

You know what they say. Out with the old, in with the new.

Renjun, his roommate, is a witch. And a good kisser.

**Author's Note:**

> :3
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/sesunmi)  
> [twt](https://twitter.com/sesunmii)


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